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they march out, and were more powerful in the battle. 1.80 And the people ask for the ark to be brought for aid. And when the ark was sent there with the sons of Eli, a battle was joined. And the Hebrews were defeated, and about thirty thousand fell, and the sons of the high priest, and the ark was taken by the enemy. And Eli the high priest was sitting on a high chair, and learning of the battle and the slaughter of his sons and the capture of the ark, being overcome with grief, he fell from his throne and died, being ninety years old, having led Israel for forty of those years. And the foreigners, having brought the ark to the city of Ashdod, dedicated it to Dagon, for so they called their own god. And in the morning, entering the house of Dagon, they found the wooden image lying on the ground before the ark. And raising it up, they stood it on its former base. And when they found this happening frequently, and having set the idol upright many times, they found it lying just as many times in the posture of one worshiping the ark, they were amazed and perplexed. Then destruction came upon the city of the Ashdodites and the country, a disease for the people in their private parts, which Josephus calls dysentery, and many were dying from it, and mice coming up from the earth were ravaging the whole country. And at last the Ashdodites understood that the ark was the cause of their sufferings, and they send it to Ashkelon; and they too suffered the same things. And so the ark passes through five of the cities of the Philistines, and to all it became a source of affliction. Therefore the rulers of the five afflicted cities assembled, of Gath and Ekron and Ashkelon and Gaza and Ashdod, and some advised one thing concerning the ark, and others anoth1.81 er. And finally it seemed good to all to make five golden tumors and as many golden mice and to place them upon the ark, and to make a new cart and to bring milk cows to the cart, but to hold back their calves, and to place the ark on the cart, and bringing the cows to a crossroads to leave them, so that it might be up to them to go whichever way they would set out; and if they should go straight to the Israelites, to suppose the evils were brought upon them on account of the ark and not to hinder its journey to them, but if they should go somewhere else, to turn back again both the cows and the cart and the things on it. Having therefore accomplished what had been decided, they let the cows go, themselves also following from a distance, so that they might see the outcome. And they went straight toward the Hebrews and did not stop until they had arrived at a great plain in Beth-shemesh. When therefore the men of that village saw the ark, they rushed to it, and taking it down from the cart, they sacrificed the cows and made a whole burnt offering of them with the wood of which the cart was made. Having seen this, the Philistines returned. But those who touched the ark, not being priests, God, being angered, put to death. And the rest made known to the community of the Hebrews the things concerning the ark; and they, taking it, bring it to Kiriath-jearim and deposit it in the house of Abinadab, who was of the Levitical tribe. And it remained there for twenty years, but among the foreigners for four months. And Samuel the prophet, already having a great name and having come to much glory, having gathered the people, spoke to them about freedom and persuaded them to lay claim to it. The Philistines, learning this, come upon the Hebrews unexpectedly, and terrified them, 1.82 so that they ran to Samuel, saying that their salvation was despaired of, unless he himself would ask for divine aid for them. And he exhorts them to be of good courage, and assures them that God will help, and having sacrificed a lamb, he prays to God. And before the sacred flame had consumed the sacrifice, the adversaries attack the Hebrews, thinking to overcome them more easily as they were unarmed. But when the earth was shaken by God with an earthquake, and thunders broke forth and lightnings flashed, the enemy fell into cowardice and were turned to flight. And Samuel and the multitude pursued after them and destroyed many, and no longer after the

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ἐκστρατεύουσι, καὶ ησαν τῇ μάχῃ ἐπικρατέστεροι. 1.80 ὁ δὲ λαὸς κομισθῆναι τὴν κιβωτὸν αἰτοῦσιν εἰς ἀρωγήν. πεμφθείσης δ' ἐκεῖσε τῆς κιβωτοῦ σὺν τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ ̓Ηλεί, συγκεκρότητο μάχη. καὶ ηττηντο οἱ ̔Εβραῖοι, επεσον δὲ ὡσεὶ τρισμύριοι, καὶ οἱ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως υἱοί, καὶ ἡ κιβωτὸς ἐλήφθη τοῖς πολεμίοις. ̓Ηλεὶ δὲ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ἐφ' ὑψηλοῦ καθῆστο δίφρου, καὶ μαθὼν τὰ τῆς μάχης καὶ τὴν σφαγὴν τῶν υἱῶν καὶ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν τῆς κιβωτοῦ, περιαλγήσας ἐξέπεσε τοῦ θρόνου καὶ τέθνηκεν, ἐνενηκοντούτης γενόμενος, τεσσαράκοντα δὲ τούτων ἐνιαυτοὺς τοῦ ̓Ισραὴλ ἡγησάμενος. οἱ δὲ ἀλλόφυλοι εἰς Αζωτον πόλιν ἀπαγαγόντες τὴν κιβωτὸν τῷ ∆αγών, ουτω γὰρ τὸν ἑαυτῶν ἐκάλουν θεόν, ἀνέθεντο. εωθεν δὲ εἰς τὸν οικον ∆αγὼν εἰσελθόντες ευρον κείμενον τὸ ξόανον ἐνώπιον τῆς κιβωτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. καὶ ἀναστήσαντες αὐτὸ ἐπὶ τῆς προτέρας εστησαν βάσεως. ὡς δὲ τοῦτο συχνάκις ευρον γινόμενον, καὶ πολλάκις τὸ ειδωλον ἀνορθώσαντες τοσαυτάκις κείμενον κατελάμβανον ἐν σχήματι προσκυνοῦντος τὴν κιβωτόν, ἐθαμβοῦντο καὶ διηπόρουν. επειτα δ' ἐπέσκηψε τῇ τῶν ̓Αζωτίων πόλει καὶ τῇ χώρᾳ φθορά, νόσος μὲν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις περὶ τὰς εδρας, ην δυσεντερίαν φησὶν ὁ ̓Ιώσηπος, καὶ εθνησκον συχνοὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς, μύες δὲ τῆς γῆς ἀναδοθέντες τὴν χώραν απασαν ἐκεράϊζον. ὀψὲ δὲ συνῆκαν τὴν κιβωτὸν αἰτίαν αὐτοῖς ειναι τῶν παθῶν οἱ ̓Αζώτιοι, καὶ πέμπουσιν αὐτὴν εἰς ̓Ασκάλωνα· καὶ επασχον κἀκεῖνοι τὰ ομοια. καὶ ουτω πέντε τῶν Παλαιστηνῶν ἀμείβει πόλεις ἡ κιβωτός, καὶ πάσαις εἰς κάκωσιν γέγονεν. συνῆλθον ουν οἱ τῶν κακουμένων πέντε πόλεων αρχοντες, Γήτης καὶ ̓Ακκαρὼν ̓Ασκάλωνός τε καὶ Γάζης καὶ ̓Αζώτου, καὶοἱ μὲν αλλα περὶ τῆς κιβωτοῦ, οἱ δ' ετερα συνεβού1.81 λευον. καὶ τέλος εδοξε πᾶσιν εδρας πέντε χρυσᾶς καὶ μύας τοσούτους χρυσοῦς ποιῆσαι καὶ θέσθαι ἐπὶ τῆς κιβωτοῦ, αμαξάν τε καινουργῆσαι καὶ βόας πρωτοτοκούσας τῇ ἁμάξῃ ὑπαγαγεῖν, τοὺς δὲ μόσχους αὐτῶν κατασχεῖν, καὶ ἐπιθεῖναι τῇ ἁμάξῃ τὴν κιβωτόν, τὰς βόας δ' ἀπαγαγόντας ἐπὶ τριόδου καταλιπεῖν, ιν' ἐπ' αὐταῖς ειη ἀπιέναι καθ' ην ὁρμήσουσι· καὶ εἰ μὲν εὐθὺ τῶν ̓Ισραηλιτῶν ἀπελεύσονται, διὰ τὴν κιβωτὸν οιεσθαι σφίσιν ἐπάγεσθαι τὰ κακὰ καὶ μὴ κωλύειν τὴν εἰς ἐκείνους πορείαν, εἰ δ' αλλοσέ πῃ ἀπίοιεν, ἐπιστρέψαι αυθις τὰς βόας τε καὶ τὴν αμαξαν καὶ τὰ ἐπ' αὐτῆς. ἐπιτελέσαντες τοίνυν τὰ δόξαντα ἀφῆκαν τὰς βόας, μήκοθεν ἑπόμενοι καὶ αὐτοί, ιν' ὁρῷεν τὸ ἐκβησόμενον. αἱ δὲ κατ' εὐθὺ τῶν ̔Εβραίων ἀπῄεσαν καὶ οὐ πρότερον εστησαν πρὶν εἰς μέγα πεδίον ἐν Βαιθσαμοῖς κατηντήκασιν. ὡς ουν ειδον οἱ τῆς κώμης ἐκείνης ανδρες τὴν κιβωτόν, ὡρμήκασιν ἐπ' αὐτήν, καὶ καθελόντες ἐκ τῆς ἁμάξης αὐτὴν εθυσαν τὰς βόας καὶ τοῖς ξύλοις οις ἡ αμαξα ειργαστο αὐτὰς ὡλοκαύτωσαν. οπερ ἰδόντες οἱ Παλαιστηνοὶ ὑπενόστησαν. τοὺς δ' ἁψαμένους τῆς κιβωτοῦ, μὴ οντας ἱερεῖς, ὀργισθεὶς ὁ θεὸς ἐθανάτωσεν. οἱ δέ γε λοιποὶ τῷ κοινῷ τῶν ̔Εβραίων ἐγνώρισαν τὰ περὶ τῆς κιβωτοῦ· κἀκεῖνοι λαβόντες αὐτὴν ἀπάγουσιν εἰς Καριαθιαρεὶμ καὶ εἰς οἰκίαν ̓Αμιναδὰβ ἐκ τῆς Λευιτικῆς οντος φυλῆς κατατίθενται. καὶ εμεινεν ἐκεῖ ετη εικοσι, παρὰ δὲ τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις μῆνας τέσσαρας. Σαμουὴλ δὲ ὁ προφήτης μέγα ηδη σχὼν ονομα καὶ δόξης ηκων ἐπὶ πολύ, συναγαγὼν τὸν λαὸν περὶ ἐλευθερίας αὐτῷ διειλέχθη καὶ επεισε ταύτης ἀντιποιήσασθαι. ο μαθόντες οἱ Παλαιστηνοὶ ἀπροσδοκήτως τοῖς ̔Εβραίοις ἐπίασι, καὶ κατεπτόησαν αὐτούς, 1.82 ὡς τῷ Σαμουὴλ προσδραμεῖν, λέγοντας ἀπεγνῶσθαι τὴν σωτηρίαν αὐτοῖς, εἰ μὴ αὐτὸς σφίσι τὴν ἐκ τοῦ θείου ἐπικουρίαν αἰτήσεται. καὶ ος θαρρεῖν παρεγγυᾷ, καὶ τὸν θεὸν ἐπαρῆξαι διαβεβαιοῦται αὐτοῖς, καὶ θύσας αρνα δέεται τοῦ θεοῦ. μήπω δὲ τὴν θυσίαν τῆς ἱερᾶς δαπανησάσης φλογὸς προσβάλλουσι τοῖς ̔Εβραίοις οἱ ἀντιπόλεμοι, ῥᾷον αὐτῶν κρατήσειν ὡς ἀόπλων οἰόμενοι. σεισμῷ δὲ τῆς γῆς κλονηθείσης ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, καταρραγεισῶν τε βροντῶν καὶ ἐξαφθεισῶν ἀστραπῶν, εἰς δειλίαν ἐνέπεσον οἱ πολέμιοι καὶ ἐτράπησαν εἰς φυγήν. κατεδίωξε δὲ Σαμουὴλ καὶ τὸ πλῆθος ὀπίσω αὐτῶν καὶ πολλοὺς διεφθάρκασι, καὶ οὐκέτι μετὰ τὴν